Gustard R26 – Owners & Discussion Thread

[Ehrmantraut]

The R26 presents in a gorgeous, well machined aluminium case with oled screen. Full input functionality with a streamer (ALSA Roon) and digital volume in a dual mono resistor ladder configuration

Set up is via a tiny menu for filters, clock, NOS etc. I used the “fast” filter in NOS mode and fixed volume. Reports say that using an external clock like the LHY-OCK1 yields better SQ but I used, what I think is, the excellent internal clock.

Playback was via Roon using multiple genres to Woo 3ES and Stax X9K/009s. 

So, how does it sound? TL:DR – awesome! Especially for the price.

I’ve experienced and owned quite a few R2R DACs, FGPA and delta chipsets at nearly all price points. Each technology has it’s pros and cons and those who love and loathe them. When we talk about R2R DACs, the feedback is generally around an “analogue” sound with warmth and liquidity. As opposed to a more “digital” response. R2R = warm and organic, Delta = detail and clarity etc, etc. Gross generalisations, I know.
The R26 presents a surprising (for R2R) technical, clean, resolving and fast sound. There’s still a lovely analogue timbre to the music without a loss of detail and imaging. Layering and soundstage are also excellent. There’s plenty of bass and slam too – what a package!

I expected the onboard streamer to be somewhat lacking but it is very good and is only outperformed by more expensive dedicated units. 

Overall, this R2R DAC kicks a lot of goals. Great build, awesome SQ and plenty of functionality. From my audio memory (always bad!) it matches the timbral quality of Holo’s offerings and Sonnet with added speed and detail. I won’t say it’s “better” than say the Morpheus or Spring/May. That’s for other listeners to compare. I will say it is very good to my ears. 

I have an A26 (4499ex) on order to compare. What a fun hobby.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Ehrmantraut
Changing pic

[mattjtaylor2809]

Interesting product, I’ll keep an eye out on this post.

[fire]

Nice gear, how's the sound quality though 

[Ehrmantraut]

Here’s a link. Not sure I agree about the comments regarding the streamer, which I think is really good.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/gustard-dac-r26.26186/reviews#:~:text=The R26 is one really,balance between musicality and technicalities.

 

[Nada]

On 20/01/2023 at 1:35 PM, Ehrmantraut said:

A26 (4499ex) on order to compare.

 

That's going to be very interesting.

[georgehifi]

13 hours ago, Ehrmantraut said:

Here’s a link.

 

How does he tell anything in that room the way the speakers are

Cheers George

 

 

[davewantsmoore]

On 20/1/2023 at 4:35 PM, Ehrmantraut said:

Especially for the price

It's very "relative" I guess.

 

I couldn't hack the price (vs SQ) for my office (headphone) rig, and didn't need all the functionality (Roon is on the PC, etc.), and  so downgraded all the way to an Audio-GD R2R-11 .... for something like 10% of the price.

 

It was very good for sure, and continues to stir the pot with all the "zomg! look at the all the distortion" people, which is fun.

[Ehrmantraut]

So the A26 Dual mono AKM 4499ex DAC has been in the house, burned in and direct A-B with the R26. It's just a nice box as the R26, perhaps with a nicer screen with the touchscreen function. I will focus on the differences, rather than the similarities as they produce a great sound.

Both are highly resolving and equally transparent sounding, A26 just gives you a little bit more. The A26 feels sharper and a bit more defined with a higher dynamic range. With soundstage, I feel the A26 has a wider and deeper presentation than the R26, a bit faster and clearer. A26 has a more open, tighter timbre and tone. Again, they're similar but different, the same sauce with different herbs!

Soooo, R2R = warm and organic, Delta = detail and clarity???? Different strokes for different folks and ears. I thoroughly recommend both units. Great sound and depending on your viewpoint, great value. As always, your ears, your system, YMMV.

[Braddles 63]

I need a little more from the top end of my speakers. Bit too laid back. A26 may be the go for me. Cheers for the feedback.

 

[Ehrmantraut]

14 minutes ago, Braddles 63 said:

I need a little more from the top end of my speakers. Bit too laid back. A26 may be the go for me. Cheers for the feedback.

 

There’s certainly a bit more sparkle in the A26, a bit more fizz. But that’s not digital glare; possibly a result of the wider soundstage and heightened treble response, all of which can lead to a sense of greater detail,  More attack but less tonal density. Synergy is everything!

[jakenz]

Thanks for your nice write-up of your impressions of the A26 vs R26 @Ehrmantraut.  I have the R26 which I really enjoy - seems to have a good synergy with my Focal Sopra speakers (particularly once I tamed a few residual edges with some upstream network improvements & the LHY OCK-1) though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t A26-curious.

 

You’re one of a select few I know of to have compared both DACs head-to-head so I took the liberty of linking to this over in the Head-fi A26 thread where there’s a lot of interest in such comparisons.

[Ehrmantraut]

Thanks Jake. I enjoyed both but will put the R26 and A26  up for sale as the Lumin P1 resonates better in my system. How much difference do you feel the LHY OCK-1 exteranl clock makes? I've read a few positive reports. The K2 clock in both units is pretty impressive on measurements. 

[jakenz]

Quite understandable you preferring the Lumin P1, as though the Gustards punch well above their weight the P1 is a formidable incumbent in a rather different weight class. 

 

A decent external clock really elevates the R26, due in no small part to the K2 clock synthesiser's quality I believe. There are a few folk getting great satisfaction from partnering the X26 and A26 with USD4-5k+ AfterDark and Mutec external clocks. In the case of the OCK-1 the modest additional outlay of USD350-450 takes the R26's performance up a level, every aspect of its sound is enhanced without changing its character. More resolving, more PRAT and energy to the sound, deeper and wider soundstage, residual glare and digititus reduces. All due, presumably to greater temporal precision.

 

The USD750 OCK-2 is appreciably better still per folk who've tried both.

 

The internal streamer in the R26, and I presume the A26 (there is nothing to suggest they are different), is pretty sensitive to the quality of the ethernet feed. Probably far more so than your P1. So adding a USD450 LHY SW-8 audiophile switch took it up another level - it brought really satisfying further improvements in soundstaging definition and microdetails, length of note decay. The combined effect of  these two really makes the R26 present an even more organic, but also more dynamic and three dimensional soundstage. Having experienced the benefits of a modest but quality external clock I am a convert, and very tempted in due course to try a better clock like the OCK-2 or beyond. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by jakenz
Corrected typo re OCK-2

[Ehrmantraut]

Good feedback thanks. I use fibre optical ethernet straight into the P1 which is a huge advantage it has. From a Melco S100 switch. I found the R26/A26 to have remarkably good streaming through the LAN connection and some say it sounds better than through the digital inputs. 

[jakenz]

Re use of fibre, there's a lot of folk who've inserted fibre media convertors upstream of the R26 with great success, albeit having to convert back into ethernet to feed the R26. On my list to try next. Assuming you fed ethernet from the Melco to the A26/R26,  you'd have heard much more of the potential of the internal streamer than most, who, like me, at least initially, used a generic switch or router. The benefits I experienced from use of an external clock with the R26 likely come from increases in the timing precision of both its internal streamer and its D-to-A sections.

Edited February 1, 2023 by jakenz

[Peter_F]

On 28/01/2023 at 3:23 PM, Braddles 63 said:

A26 may be the go for me.

Hi Brad, did you end getting one of these? If so, curious on your thoughts? Cheers, Pete.

[Braddles 63]

1 hour ago, Peter_F said:

Hi Brad, did you end getting one of these? If so, curious on your thoughts? Cheers, Pete.

Not yet Pete. I’m restoring a set of JBL L50’s atm so that’s where the funds are currently going. But it’s on the list. Will let you know.

[Peter_F]

56 minutes ago, Braddles 63 said:

Not yet Pete. I’m restoring a set of JBL L50’s atm so that’s where the funds are currently going. But it’s on the list. Will let you know.

The Jbl's sounds like a cool project. 

[MattyW]

I had a wonderful 4+ hour listening session today thanks to fellow member @dogbite. Norm was kind enough to bring his Gustard R26 and I must say it impressed me. In my system, it’s the second best sounding DAC I’ve heard. It’s behind my AudioGD R7HE Mk2 though by far less than I ever expected. It’s a little less of everything vs the R7HE Mk2…. A little less depth, less liquid and less lit from within triode like beauty, a touch less solid sounding and impactful…. Just a little less of everything….. Provided it’s fed by I2S from my existing signal path. The Ethernet streaming was less than convincing until I placed my Network Acoustics Eno Ag filter in front of it then it was a hair behind the I2S….. USB sounded rather shite. Not worth running. Piano via USB was unnatural and hi hats harsh. No idea about the other inputs as I didn’t try them.

 

For a DAC which costs 1/3 my R7HE Mk2, I must say I’m mightily impressed. It displaced the Accurate Audio D1000 for second place in the best I’ve run. Just spectacular and truly punches far above its price point.

 

The fast filter in NOS mode was clearly the best sounding setting for the R26. Sonic good enough that I could easily live with it. A very nice DAC. Very natural.

Edited May 26, 2023 by MattyW

[jakenz]

Very positive feedback, thanks. I've heard very good things about the Audio-Gd, not least from Stereophile. So good to get your comparative take - I would like to hear the R7HE. Is it fair to assume you used external clocks with both? 

Edited May 26, 2023 by jakenz

[MattyW]

1 hour ago, jakenz said:

Very positive feedback, thanks. I've heard very good things about the Audio-Gd, not least from Stereophile. So good to get your comparative take - I would like to hear the R7HE. Is it fair to assume you used external clocks with both? 

On the DDC, and to DAC for the R7HE Mk2 though not the R26. A clock does not improve most of the areas where the R7HE is ahead though strictly speaking not a fair comparison. Though if you factor in the cost of the streamer the price/performance proposition of the R26 is even more compelling. More like 1/4 the cost. It doesn’t matter what tweaks you as it isn’t going to match the R7HE however it’s close enough to be extremely engaging, in my system at least providing you use Ethernet and a filter such as the Network Acoustics Eno Ag filter. That does far more than a clock upgrade can.

Edited May 27, 2023 by MattyW

[jakenz]

On 27/05/2023 at 11:40 AM, MattyW said:

On the DDC, and to DAC for the R7HE Mk2 though not the R26. A clock does not improve most of the areas where the R7HE is ahead though strictly speaking not a fair comparison. Though if you factor in the cost of the streamer the price/performance proposition of the R26 is even more compelling. More like 1/4 the cost. It doesn’t matter what tweaks you as it isn’t going to match the R7HE however it’s close enough to be extremely engaging, in my system at least providing you use Ethernet and a filter such as the Network Acoustics Eno Ag filter. That does far more than a clock upgrade can.

Cheers, yeah I can readily accept the R7HE will comfortably best the R26, as it ought to, the R8/HE would be a fairer comparison, wasn't suggesting a clock would change this, just interested in your setup details. Quite a few folk over at Headfi using some pretty high end clocks with both Audio-Gd and Gustard DACs, with satisfying results.  A modest OCK-2 in my case. Haven't tried the Network Acoustics stuff but from my experience with OCXO switches and other filtration, I totally agree on its importance. Oh and signal grounding too, the more the better.

Edited May 28, 2023 by jakenz
Typos

[MattyW]

Absolutely, and good filtering and power isolation. Balanced isolation transformers do wonders in a single ended amplification system though generally will restrict dynamics in a push-pull class ab amplication chain.

 

A good clock tends to add better depth and enhanced naturalness, a little solidity yet fewer hard edges to sound, and a reduction in system generated sibilance allowing sibilance which is actually in the recording to sound unobtrusive and natural. A big fan of OCXO clock. Running a 3 output Afterdark Emperor Double Crown OCXO clock in my chain.

[MattyW]

But yeah, I think what I'm trying to convey is that yes, the R7HE Mk2 is phenomenal however the R26 was in no way put to shame by it. Providing it was fed via ethernet with the Network Acoustics Eno Ag ethernet filter in place performance was rather stunning. Well out of proportion to its price tag and any sane person (of which I'm not a member) would stop searching for improvement running one. I must stress though..... The Eno Ag filter makes a massive improvement akin to a major DAC upgrade as can be attested by @dogbite 

[Andy_M]

Great write up.

 

Interested in knowing which you chose to keep between the 2? I am currently torn down the middle as to which way I want to go.